Information for International Applicants

International students should understand that the teaching credential issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) is not part of the degree but is a product of the academic program.

The Preliminary Teaching Credential is granted by the CTC upon completion of the MATTC program and recommendation by SCU to the CTC. International students should carefully consider whether their immigration status allows for sufficient post-graduation employment necessary to complete the 2-year Induction program required for all public K-12 educators. 

The completion of the Induction program is an employment requirement, resulting in an employer recommendation for a Clear Teaching Credential from the CTC.

Students on the F-1 visa are allowed a maximum of 1-year post-graduation employment and this time is not sufficient for completing the requirements for the Clear Teaching Credential. Therefore, while an F-1 student may choose to complete the academic program, his/her F-1 immigration status will not permit the necessary two years of employment and Induction. 

International students should understand that licensure is not part of the degree but rather the degree is preparation for the license exam. 

International students should carefully consider whether their immigration status will allow for sufficient post-graduation employment necessary to complete the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) requirements for licensure. Students on the F-1 visa are allowed a maximum of 1-year post-graduation employment and this time is not sufficient for completing the requirements for licensure (3,000 hours post-graduation training required by the BBS.)

Therefore, while an F-1 student may choose to complete the academic program, his/her F-1 immigration status will not permit completion of the 3,000 hours of supervised clinical hours required to obtain licensure. 

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. 

TOEFL iBT minimum score accepted: 90
IELTS minimum score accepted: 6.5
Duolingo minimum score accepted: 110

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to SCU School of Education and Counseling Psychology.

TOEFL scores expire after two years from the original test date and are no longer available from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) after that time. If students have questions about the validity of their TOEFL scores they should contact ETS. If ETS is able to send an applicant’s valid scores, SCU will accept it. 

The only exemption for the English Proficiency Requirement is for applicants whose native language is not English but who earn, or will earn prior to enrollment at SCU, a bachelor’s degree or Ph.D. in its entirety in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or Anglophone Canada. 

Receiving a bachelor’s degree in a country that lists English as an official language, such as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Nigeria or Singapore does not exempt applicants from the English Proficiency Requirement.

For more information regarding the English Proficiency Requirement, please refer to the English Proficiency page on the Global Engagement Office website. 

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY CODE: 4851

Transcript evaluations are required by one of the approved NACES agencies. Applicants to the Master of Arts in Teaching and Teaching Credential (MATTC) program must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the agencies approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Please note, transcript evaluations must include degree equivalency, U.S. GPA equivalency, and a course-by-course evaluation report. 

Applicants to the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the approved NACES agencies. Applicants are welcome to select their own agency from the approved list; transcript evaluations must include degree equivalency, U.S. GPA equivalency, and a course-by-course evaluation report. 

Applicants to the Master of Arts in Counseling or Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the approved NACES agencies. Applicants are welcome to select their own agency from the approved list; transcript evaluations must include degree equivalency, U.S. GPA equivalency, and a course-by-course evaluation report. 

SpanTran is our recommended international transcript evaluation service. They have created a custom application for the Santa Clara University School of Education & Counseling Psychology that ensures you select the correct evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application here: SpanTran Application – Santa Clara SECP.

After the receipt of the official acceptance letter, the student should contact the Graduate Admissions Office for the I-20 documentation to apply for an F-1 student visa. When this is completed it will be forwarded to the Global Engagement Office.

For more information regarding the I-20 Request process, please refer to the Immigration Process page on the Global Engagement Office website. 

International students must be enrolled in 8 units per quarter during the academic year (Fall, Winter, Spring). Summer session enrollment is always optional. Specific summer enrollment guidelines vary by program; please speak with your academic advisor.